Electronic device including elastic member

ABSTRACT

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first housing structure including a first surface facing in a first direction, a second surface facing in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a first side surface member at least partially surrounding a space between the first surface and the second surface, a second housing structure including a third surface facing in a third direction, a fourth surface facing in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, and a second side surface member at least partially surrounding a space between the third surface and the fourth surface, a hinge structure rotatably connecting the first housing structure and the second housing structure, the hinge structure providing a folding axis on which the first housing structure and the second housing structure rotate, the hinge structure including a first hinge plate mounted inside the first housing structure and a second hinge plate mounted inside the second housing structure, at least one flexible printed circuit board crossing the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate and extending from an inside of the first housing structure to an inside of the second housing structure, and at least one elastic member disposed on at least one of the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate in a position adjacent to the folding axis. The elastic member is, at least one of, disposed between at least one of the first hinge plate or the flexible printed circuit board or disposed between the second hinge plate and the flexible printed circuit board.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119of a Korean patent application number 10-2019-0052095, filed on May 3,2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The disclosure relates to an electronic device. More particularly, thedisclosure relates to an electronic device with an elastic member.

2. Description of Related Art

Developing electronic information communication technology integratesvarious functionalities into a single electronic device. For example,smartphones pack the functionalities of a sound player, imaging device,and scheduler, as well as the communication functionality and, on top ofthat, may implement more various functions by having applicationsinstalled thereon.

The user of an electronic device may search, screen, and obtain moreinformation by accessing a network, rather than simply using thefunctionalities or information (e.g., applications) of the electronicdevice. Direct access to the network (e.g., wired communication) mayenable quick and stable communication establishment but its usabilitymay be limited to a fixed location or space. Wireless network access isless limited in location or space, delivers a level of speed andstability approaching that of direct network access, and is expected tobe able to establish communication faster and more stably than directnetwork access.

Personal/portable electronic devices such as smartphones spread, userdemand for portability and use convenience is on the rise. For example,a touchscreen display may not only serve as an output device of visualinformation but also provide a virtual keyboard that replaces a physicalinput device (e.g., a keypad). As such, electronic devices may be madecompact while delivering further enhanced applicability (e.g., a largerscreen). Flexible displays, e.g., foldable or rollable displays, willbecome commercially available and electronic devices are expected todeliver better portability and use convenience.

When an electronic device or display folds or rolls, or unfolds(hereinafter, “transforms”), a relative displacement may occur betweenadjacent structures or electronic components in the electronic device.In an embodiment, the electronic device may include a flexible printedcircuit board electrically connecting the internal electroniccomponents. The flexible printed circuit board may transform,corresponding to the transforming of the electronic device, and maycontact or rub against another adjacent structure or electroniccomponent. The contact or friction between the internal structures orelectronic components while the electronic device transforms may cause anoise. In some embodiments, such contact or friction may wear theinternal structures or electronic components. Such electronic componentsas the flexible printed circuit board may be worn and resultantly losetheir functions.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination hasbeen made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the disclosure are to address at least the above-mentionedproblems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantagesdescribed below. Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to providean electronic device capable of mitigating or preventing contact (orfriction) between electronic components while transforming.

Another aspect of the disclosure is to provide an electronic devicecapable of suppressing wear or damage due to contact or friction betweenthe structures or electronic components while transforming.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description whichfollows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may belearned by practice of the presented embodiments.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device isprovided. The electronic device includes a first housing structureincluding a first surface facing in a first direction, a second surfacefacing in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and afirst side surface member at least partially surrounding a space betweenthe first surface and the second surface, a second housing structureincluding a third surface facing in a third direction, a fourth surfacefacing in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, and asecond side surface member at least partially surrounding a spacebetween the third surface and the fourth surface, a hinge structurerotatably connecting the first housing structure and the second housingstructure, the hinge structure providing a folding axis on which thefirst housing structure and the second housing structure rotate, thehinge structure including a first hinge plate mounted inside the firsthousing structure and a second hinge plate mounted inside the secondhousing structure, at least one flexible printed circuit board crossingthe first hinge plate and the second hinge plate and extending from aninside of the first housing structure to an inside of the second housingstructure, and at least one elastic member disposed on at least one ofthe first hinge plate or the second hinge plate in a position adjacentto the folding axis, wherein the elastic member is, at least one of,disposed between the first hinge plate and the at least one flexibleprinted circuit board, or between the second hinge plate and theflexible printed circuit board.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, an electronicdevice is provided. The electronic device includes a first housingstructure, a second housing structure, a hinge structure rotatablyconnecting the first housing structure and the second housing structure,the hinge structure including a first hinge plate mounted inside thefirst housing structure, and a second hinge plate mounted inside thesecond housing structure, at least one flexible printed circuit boardcrossing the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate, the at leastone flexible printed circuit board extending from an inside of the firsthousing structure to an inside of the second housing structure, and aplurality of elastic members individually disposed on the first hingeplate and the second hinge plate, the plurality of elastic memberspartially facing the flexible printed circuit board, wherein theplurality of elastic members include an attaching area formed on asurface facing the first hinge plate or the second hinge plate and anon-attaching area formed to abut at least two opposite sides of theattaching area on the surface facing the first hinge plate or the secondhinge plate.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses various embodiments of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certainembodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an unfolded state of an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a folded state of an electronic device asshown in FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating some components of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are plan views illustrating a combined structure of thecomponents of FIG. 4 according to various embodiments of the disclosure;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged views of area E of FIG. 4 according tovarious embodiments of the disclosure;

FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 are cross-sectional views illustrating variousexample elastic members, as taken by cutting a hinge plate(s) along lineB-B′ of FIG. 8, according to various embodiments of the disclosure;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are views illustrating an unfolded state of housingstructures of an electronic device according to various embodiment ofthe disclosure;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are views illustrating a folded state of housingstructures of an electronic device according to various embodiments ofthe disclosure;

FIGS. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 are views illustrating exampleoperations of manufacturing an elastic member of an electronic deviceaccording to various embodiments of the disclosure; and

FIGS. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are views illustrating exampleoperations of manufacturing an elastic member of an electronic deviceaccording to various embodiments of the disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood torefer to like parts, components, and structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of variousembodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the various embodiments describedherein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of thedisclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions andconstructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by theinventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of thedisclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in theart that the following description of various embodiments of thedisclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for thepurpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims andtheir equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes referenceto one or more of such surfaces.

It should be appreciated that various embodiments of the disclosure andthe terms used therein are not intended to limit the technologicalfeatures set forth herein to particular embodiments and include variouschanges, equivalents, or replacements for a corresponding embodiment.With regard to the description of the drawings, similar referencenumerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It is tobe understood that a singular form of a noun corresponding to an itemmay include one or more of the things, unless the relevant contextclearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases as “Aor B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, orC,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C,” mayinclude all possible combinations of the items enumerated together in acorresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, such terms as “1st”and “2nd,” or “first” and “second” may be used to simply distinguish acorresponding component from another, and does not limit the componentsin other aspect (e.g., importance or order). It is to be understood thatif an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to, with or withoutthe term “operatively” or “communicatively”, as “coupled with,” “coupledto,” “connected with,” or “connected to” another element (e.g., a secondelement), it means that the element may be coupled with the otherelement directly (e.g., wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.

As used herein, the term “module” may include a unit implemented inhardware, software, or firmware, and may interchangeably be used withother terms, for example, “logic,” “logic block,” “part,” or“circuitry”. A module may be a single integral component, or a minimumunit or part thereof, adapted to perform one or more functions. Forexample, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in aform of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments as set forth herein may be implemented as software(e.g., the program) including one or more instructions that are storedin a storage medium (e.g., internal memory or external memory) that isreadable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device). For example, aprocessor (e.g., the processor) of the machine (e.g., the electronicdevice) may invoke at least one of the one or more instructions storedin the storage medium, and execute it, with or without using one or moreother components under the control of the processor. This allows themachine to be operated to perform at least one function according to theat least one instruction invoked. The one or more instructions mayinclude a code generated by a complier or a code executable by aninterpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in theform of a non-transitory storage medium. Wherein, the term“non-transitory” simply means that the storage medium is a tangibledevice, and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic wave),but this term does not differentiate between where data issemi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data istemporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to an embodiment, a method according to various embodiments ofthe disclosure may be included and provided in a computer programproduct. The computer program products may be traded as commoditiesbetween sellers and buyers. The computer program product may bedistributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g.,compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or be distributed (e.g.,downloaded or uploaded) online via an application store (e.g., PlayStore™), or between two user devices (e.g., smart phones) directly. Ifdistributed online, at least part of the computer program product may betemporarily generated or at least temporarily stored in themachine-readable storage medium, such as memory of the manufacturer'sserver, a server of the application store, or a relay server.

According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or aprogram) of the above-described components may include a single entityor multiple entities. According to various embodiments, one or more ofthe above-described components may be omitted, or one or more othercomponents may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality ofcomponents (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a singlecomponent. In such a case, according to various embodiments, theintegrated component may still perform one or more functions of each ofthe plurality of components in the same or similar manner as they areperformed by a corresponding one of the plurality of components beforethe integration. According to various embodiments, operations performedby the module, the program, or another component may be carried outsequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or moreof the operations may be executed in a different order or omitted, orone or more other operations may be added.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an unfolded state of an electronic device100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a folded state of the electronic device100 of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

In the following description, a pair of housing structures is rotatablycoupled together via a hinge structure, for example. However, it shouldbe noted that the electronic device according to various embodiments ofthe disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, according to variousembodiments, the electronic device may include three or more housingstructures. As used herein, a “pair of housing structures” may mean tworotatably-coupled housing structures among three or more housingstructures.

Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic device 100 may include a pair ofhousing structures 110 and 120 coupled together via a hinge structure(e.g., the hinge structure 164 of FIG. 3) to be rotatable to fold toeach other, a hinge cover 165 covering foldable portions of the pair ofhousing structures 110 and 120, and a display 130 (e.g., a flexibledisplay or foldable display) disposed in a space formed by the pair ofhousing structures 110 and 120. According to an embodiment, theelectronic device 100 may include a foldable housing rotatably coupledfrom the position in which the pair of housing structures 110 and 120 isfolded together to the position in which the pair of housing structures110 and 120 is unfolded flat. In the disclosure, the surface where thedisplay 130 is in may be defined as a ‘front surface’ of the electronicdevice 100, and its opposite surface may be defined as a ‘back surface’of the electronic device 100. The surface surrounding the space betweenthe front and back surfaces may be defined as a ‘side surface’ of theelectronic device 100.

According to an embodiment, the pair of housing structures 110 and 120may include a first housing structure 110, a second housing structure120, a first back cover 140, and a second back cover 150. The pair ofhousing structures 110 and 120 of the electronic device 100 is notlimited to the shape and coupling shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 but may ratherbe implemented in other shapes or via a combination and/or coupling ofother components. For example, the first housing structure 110 and thefirst back cover 140 may be integrally formed with each other, and thesecond housing structure 120 and the second back cover 150 may beintegrally formed with each other. According to an embodiment, the firsthousing structure 110 may include the first back cover 140, and thesecond housing structure 120 may include the second back cover 150.

According to an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and thesecond housing structure 120 may be positioned on opposite sides of afirst axis, e.g., a folding axis A, and they may be overall symmetricalin shape with each other with respect to the folding axis A. Accordingto an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and the second housingstructure 120 may be rotated on the hinge structure 164 or hinge cover165 with respect to different folding axes. For example, the firsthousing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 each may berotatably coupled to the hinge structure 164 or the hinge cover 165, andthe first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 maybe rotated on the folding axis A or different folding axes from theposition where they are folded together to the position where they areinclined or unfolded side-by-side with respect to each other.

As used herein, when A and B are positioned or extend side-by-side, itmay mean that A and B are positioned at least partially next to eachother or at least partially in parallel with each other. According to anembodiment, when A and B are disposed (or arranged) side-by-side, it maymean that A and B are disposed (or arranged) to face in the samedirection or directions parallel with each other. In the followingdescription, although the example phrases “side-by-side” and “inparallel with each other” may be used to describe the correspondingstructures, the shape or arrangement of the structures may easily beappreciated from the accompanying drawings.

According to an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and thesecond housing structure 120 may form different angles or distancesdepending on whether they are in an unfolded state (or, extended state,flat, state, or open state) or folded state (or folding state), or in astate therebetween. According to an embodiment, the first housingstructure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be symmetrical inshape except that the first housing structure 110 further includes asensor area 131 d where various sensors are arranged. Alternatively, thesensor area 131 d may be disposed in the second housing structure 120,not the first housing structure 110, or another sensor area may beincluded in the second housing structure 120.

According to an embodiment, in the unfolded state of the electronicdevice 100, the first housing structure 110 may be connected to thehinge structure (e.g., the hinge structure 164 of FIG. 3) and mayinclude a first surface 111 disposed to face the front surface of theelectronic device 100, a second surface 112 facing away from the firstsurface 111, and a first side surface member 113 surrounding at least aportion of the space between the first surface 111 and the secondsurface 112. According to an embodiment, the first side surface member113 may include a first side surface 113 a disposed in parallel with thefolding axis A, a second side surface 113 b extending from one end ofthe first side surface 113 a in a direction perpendicular to the foldingaxis A, and a third side surface 113 c extending from the other end ofthe first side surface 113 a in a direction perpendicular to the foldingaxis A. As used herein, the term “perpendicular” or “parallel” may beinterchangeably used with “partially perpendicular” or “partiallyparallel.” In some embodiments, “parallel” or “perpendicular” may alsomean “inclined in an angle range within 10 degrees.”

According to an embodiment, the second housing structure 120 may beconnected to the hinge structure (e.g., the hinge structure 164 of FIG.3) and, in the unfolded state of the electronic device 100, the secondhousing structure 120 may include a third surface 121 disposed to facethe front surface of the electronic device 100, a fourth surface 122facing away from the third surface 121, and a second side surface member123 surrounding at least a portion of the space between the thirdsurface 121 and the fourth surface 122. According to an embodiment, thesecond side surface member 123 may include a fourth side surface 123 adisposed in parallel with the folding axis A, a fifth side surface 123 bextending from one end of the fourth side surface 123 a in a directionperpendicular to the folding axis A, and a sixth side surface 123 cextending from the other end of the fourth side surface 123 a in adirection perpendicular to the folding axis A. According to anembodiment, the third surface 121, in the folded state, may be disposedto face the first surface 111. According to an embodiment, the secondside surface member 123 may be formed in substantially the same shape ormaterial as the first side surface member 113 although they maypartially differ in their specific shapes.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may include arecess 101 to receive the display 130 via a structural shape combinationof the first housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120.The recess 101 may have substantially the same size as the display 130.According to an embodiment, due to the sensor area 131 d, the recess 101may have two or more different widths in the direction perpendicular tothe folding axis A. For example, the recess 101 may have a first widthW1 between a first portion 120 a, parallel with the folding axis A, ofthe second housing structure 120, and a first portion 110 a, formed atan edge of the sensor area 131 d, of the first housing structure 110 anda second width W2 formed by a second portion 120 b of the second housingstructure 120 and a second portion 110 b, which is parallel with thefolding axis A and does not correspond to the sensor area 131 d, of thefirst housing structure 110. In this case, the second width W2 may belarger than the first width W1. For example, the recess 101 may beformed with the first width W1 between the first portion 110 a of thefirst housing structure 110 and the first portion 120 a of the secondhousing structure 120, which are asymmetrical in shape with each other,and the second width W1 between the second portion 110 b of the firsthousing structure 110 and the second portion 120 b of the second housingstructure 120, which are symmetrical in shape with each other. Accordingto an embodiment, the first portion 110 a and second portion 110 b ofthe first housing structure 110 may be formed to have differentdistances from the folding axis A. The width of the recess 101 is notlimited thereto. According to an embodiment, the recess 101 may have twoor more different widths depending on the shape of the sensor area 131 dor the asymmetrical shape portions of the first housing structure 110and the second housing structure 120.

According to an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and thesecond housing structure 120 may at least partially be formed of a metalor non-metallic material with a rigidity selected to support the display130. According to an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and thesecond housing structure 120 may at least partially include anelectrically conductive material. When the first housing structure 110and the second housing structure 120 include an electrically conductivematerial, the electronic device 100 may transmit/receive radio waves viathe electrically conductive portions of the first housing structure 110and the second housing structure 120. For example, the processor orcommunication module of the electronic device may perform wirelesscommunication using a portion of the first housing structure 110 and thesecond housing structure 120.

According to an embodiment, the sensor area 131 d may be formed adjacentto one corner of the first housing structure 110 and to have apredetermined area. However, the placement, shape, or size of the sensorarea 131 d is not limited to that shown in the drawings. For example,according to an embodiment, the sensor area 131 d may be provided in adifferent corner of the first housing structure 110 or in any areabetween the top corner and the bottom corner. According to anembodiment, the sensor area 131 d may be disposed in at least an area ofthe second housing structure 120. According to an embodiment, the sensorarea 131 d may be disposed to extend to the first housing structure 110and the second housing structure 120. According to an embodiment, theelectronic device 100 may include components exposed from its frontsurface through the sensor area 131 d or one or more openings preparedin the sensor area 131 d and may perform various functions by way of thecomponents. The components arranged in the sensor area 131 d may includeat least one of, e.g., a front camera device, a proximity sensor, anilluminance sensor, an iris recognition sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, oran indicator.

According to an embodiment, the first back cover 140 may be disposed onthe second surface 112 of the first housing structure 110 and may have asubstantially rectangular periphery. According to an embodiment, theperiphery of the first back cover 140 may be at least partiallysurrounded by the first housing structure 110. Similarly, the secondback cover 150 may be disposed on the fourth surface 122 of the secondhousing structure 120 and its periphery may be at least partiallysurrounded by the second housing structure 120.

In the shown embodiment, the first back cover 140 and the second backcover 150 may be substantially symmetrical in shape with respect to thefolding axis A. According to an embodiment, the first back cover 140 andthe second back cover 150 may have other various different shapes.According to an embodiment, the first back cover 140 may be integrallyformed with the first housing structure 110, and the second back cover150 may be integrally formed with the second housing structure 120.

According to an embodiment, a combined structure of the first back cover140, the second back cover 150, the first housing structure 110, and thesecond housing structure 120 may provide a space where variouscomponents (e.g., a printed circuit board, antenna module, sensormodule, or battery) of the electronic device 100 may be arranged.According to an embodiment, one or more components may be arranged orvisually exposed on/through the back surface of the electronic device100. For example, one or more components or sensors may be visuallyexposed through a first back surface area 141 of the first back cover140. According to an embodiment, the sensor may include a proximitysensor, a rear camera device, and/or flash. According to an embodiment,a sub display 152 may be at least visually exposed through a second backsurface area 151 of the second back cover 150.

The display 130 may be disposed in a space formed by the pair of housingstructures 110 and 120. For example, the display 130 may be seated in arecess (e.g., the recess 101 of FIG. 1) formed by the pair of housingstructures 110 and 120, and the display 130 may be disposed to occupysubstantially most of the front surface of the electronic device 100.For example, the front surface of the electronic device 100 may includethe display 130, a partial area (e.g., an edge area) of the firsthousing structure 110, which is adjacent to the display 130, and apartial area (e.g., an edge area) of the second housing structure 120.According to an embodiment, the back surface of the electronic device100 may include the first back cover 140, a partial area (e.g., an edgearea) of the first housing structure 110, which is adjacent to the firstback cover 140, the second back cover 150, and a partial area (e.g., anedge area) of the second housing structure 120, which is adjacent to thesecond back cover 150.

According to an embodiment, the display 130 may mean a display at leasta portion of which may be transformed to be flat or curved. According toan embodiment, the display 130 may include a folding area 131 c, a firstarea 131 a disposed on one side of the folding portion 131 c (e.g., aright-hand area of the folding portion 131 c), and a second area 131 bdisposed on the opposite side of the folding portion 131 c (e.g., aleft-hand area of the folding portion 131 c). For example, the firstarea 131 a may be disposed on the first surface 111 of the first housingstructure 110, and the second area 131 b may be disposed on the thirdsurface 121 of the second housing structure 120. For example, thedisplay 130 may extend from the first surface 111 through the hingestructure 164 of FIG. 3 to the third surface 121, and its area (e.g.,the folding area 131 c) corresponding to, at least, the hinge structuremay be a flexible area that may transform from flat to curved.

According to an embodiment, the segmentation of the display 130 ismerely an example, and the display 130 may be divided into a pluralityof (e.g., four or more or two) areas depending on the structure orfunction of the display 130. As an example, in the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the folding area 131 c may extend in the vertical axis (e.g.,the y axis of FIG. 3) parallel with the folding axis A, and the area ofthe display 130 may be divided by the folding area 131 c or the foldingaxis A. In another embodiment, the area of the display 130 may bedivided by another folding portion (e.g., a folding area parallel withthe horizontal axis (e.g., the x axis of FIG. 3) or another folding axis(e.g., a folding axis parallel with the x axis of FIG. 3). Theabove-described area segmentation is merely physical segmentation by thepair of housing structures 110 and 120 and hinge structure (e.g., thehinge structure 164 of FIG. 3) and, substantially, the display 130 maydisplay a single whole screen via the pair of housing structures 110 and120 and the hinge structure (e.g., the hinge structure 164 of FIG. 3).

According to an embodiment, the first area 131 a and the second area 131b may be overall symmetrical in shape with respect to the folding area131 c. However, unlike the second area 131 b, the first area 131 a mayinclude a notch area (e.g., the notch area 133 of FIG. 3) that providesthe sensor area 131 d and, in the remaining area, be symmetrical inshape with the second area 131 b. For example, the first area 131 a andthe second area 131 b may include symmetrical portions and asymmetricalportions.

Referring to FIG. 3, the hinge cover 165 may be disposed between thefirst housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 to hidethe internal components (e.g., the hinge structure 164 of FIG. 3).According to an embodiment, the hinge cover 165 may be hidden by aportion of the first housing structure 110 and second housing structure120 or be exposed to the outside depending on the operation state (e.g.,the unfolded state or folded state) of the electronic device 100.

Described below are the operation of the first housing structure 110 andthe second housing structure 120 and each area of the display 130depending on the operation state (e.g., the unfolded state and foldedstate) of the electronic device.

According to an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in theunfolded state (e.g., the state as shown in FIG. 1), the first housingstructure 110 and the second housing structure 120 are 180-degree angledtherebetween, and the first area 131 a and second area 131 b of thedisplay 130 may be placed to display screen in the same direction, e.g.,in directions parallel with each other. The folding area 131 c may beflush with the first area 131 a and the second area 131 b.

Referring to FIG. 2, according to an embodiment, when the electronicdevice is in the folded state (e.g., the state as shown in FIG. 2), thefirst housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 mayface each other. For example, in the folded state (e.g., the state asshown in FIG. 2) of the electronic device 100, the first area 131 a andthe second area 131 b of the display 130 may be rendered to face eachother, angled at a small angle (e.g., from 0 degrees to 10 degrees)therebetween. In the folded state (e.g., the state as shown in FIG. 2)of the electronic device 100, the folding area 131 c may at leastpartially form a curved surface with a predetermined curvature.

According to an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in anintermediate state, the first housing structure 110 and the secondhousing structure 120 may be angled therebetween at a predeterminedangle, e.g., 90 degrees or 120 degrees. For example, in the intermediatestate, the first area 131 a and second area 131 b of the display 130 maybe angled therebetween at an angle larger than the angle when it is inthe folded state and smaller than the angle when it is in the unfoldedstate. The folding area 131 c may at least partially have a curvedsurface with a predetermined curvature and, in this case, the curvaturemay be smaller than that when it is in the folded state.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an electronic device100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, according to an embodiment, an electronic device100 may include a display 130, a supporting member assembly 160, atleast one printed circuit board 170, a first housing structure 110, asecond housing structure 120, a first back cover 140, and a second backcover 150. In the disclosure, the display 130 may be interchangeablyused with a display module or display assembly.

The display 130 may include a display panel 131 (e.g., a flexibledisplay panel) and one or more plates 132 or layers seated on thedisplay panel 131. According to an embodiment, the plate 132 may bedisposed between the display panel 131 and the supporting memberassembly 160. The display panel 131 may be disposed on at least aportion of one surface (e.g., the Z-axis facing surface of FIG. 3) ofthe plate 132. The plate 132 may have a shape corresponding to thedisplay panel 131. For example, a portion of the plate 132 may have ashape corresponding to the shape of the notch area 133 of the displaypanel 131.

The supporting member assembly 160 may include a first supporting member161, a second supporting member 162, a hinge structure 164 disposed withthe first supporting member 161 and the second supporting member 162, ahinge cover 165 covering the hinge structure 164 when the hingestructure 164 is viewed from the outside, and a wiring member 163 (e.g.,a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB)) crossing the first supportingmember 161 and the second supporting member 162.

According to an embodiment, the supporting member assembly 160 may bedisposed with the plate 132 and at least one printed circuit board 170.As an example, the first supporting member 161 may be disposed with thefirst area 131 a of the display 130 and a first printed circuit board171. The second supporting member 162 may be disposed with the secondarea 131 b of the display 130 and a second printed circuit board 172.

According to an embodiment, the wiring member 163 and the hingestructure 164 may be at least partially disposed inside the supportingmember assembly 160. The wiring member 163 may be disposed in adirection (e.g., the x-axis direction) crossing the first supportingmember 161 and the second supporting member 162. The wiring member 163may be disposed in a direction (e.g., the x-axis direction)perpendicular to the folding axis (e.g., the folding axis A of FIG. 1 orthe y axis) of the folding area 131 c.

According to an embodiment, the hinge structure 164 may include a hingemodule 164 a, a first hinge plate 164 b, and/or a second hinge plate 164c. According to an embodiment, the first hinge plate 164 b may bemounted inside the first housing structure 110, and the second hingeplate 164 c may be mounted inside the second housing structure 120.According to an embodiment, the first hinge plate 164 b may be directlymounted on the first supporting member 161, and the second hinge plate164 c may be directly mounted on the second supporting member 162.According to an embodiment, the first hinge plate 164 b (or second hingeplate 164 c) may be directly mounted in other structure (e.g., a firstrotation supporting surface 114 or second rotation supporting surface124) inside the first housing structure 110 (or the second housingstructure 120). For example, the structure in which the first hingeplate 164 b (or the second hinge plate 164 c) is mounted inside thefirst housing structure 110 (or the second housing structure 120) may bevaried according to embodiments. In another embodiment, the hinge module164 a may be mounted on the first hinge plate 164 b and the second hingeplate 164 c, rotatably connecting the second hinge plate 164 c to thefirst hinge plate 164 b. For example, a folding axis (e.g., the foldingaxis A of FIG. 1) may be formed by the hinge module 164 a, and the firsthousing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 (or the firstsupporting member 161 and the second supporting member 162) may berotated on each other substantially with respect to the folding axis A.

As mentioned above, the at least one printed circuit board 170 mayinclude the first printed circuit board 171 disposed on the firstsupporting member 161 and the second printed circuit board 172 disposedon the second supporting member 162. The first printed circuit board 171and the second printed circuit board 172 may be disposed inside a spaceformed by the supporting member assembly 160, the first housingstructure 110, the second housing structure 120, the first back cover140, and the second back cover 150. Components for implementing variousfunctions of the electronic device 100 may be mounted on the firstprinted circuit board 171 and the second printed circuit board 172.

According to an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 and thesecond housing structure 120 may be assembled together to be coupled toboth sides of the supporting member assembly 160, with the display 130coupled to the supporting member assembly 160. The first housingstructure 110 and the second housing structure 120 may be slidablycoupled to two opposite sides of the supporting member assembly 160,e.g., the first supporting member 161 and the second supporting member162, respectively. The first supporting member 161 and the secondsupporting member 162 may substantially be received in the first housingstructure 110 and the second housing structure 120 and, according to anembodiment, may be interpreted as the respective portions of the firsthousing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120.

According to an embodiment, the first housing structure 110 may includea first rotation supporting surface 114, and the second housingstructure 120 may include a second rotation supporting surface 124corresponding to the first rotation supporting surface 114. The firstrotation supporting surface 114 and the second rotation supportingsurface 124 may include a curved surface corresponding to a curvedsurface included in the hinge cover 165.

According to an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is in theunfolded state (e.g., the state as shown in FIG. 1), the first rotationsupporting surface 114 and the second rotation supporting surface 124may cover the hinge cover 165, allowing the hinge cover 165 to be not orminimally exposed to the back surface of the electronic device 100.According to an embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is the foldedstate (e.g., the state as shown in FIG. 2), the first rotationsupporting surface 114 and the second rotation supporting surface 124may rotate along the curved surface of the hinge cover 165, maximallyexposing the hinge cover 165 to the back surface of the electronicdevice 100.

In the above description, the ordinal numbers as in the first housingstructure 110, second housing structure 120, first side surface member113 and the second side surface member 123 have been used merely fordistinguishing the components, and it should be noted that the scope ofthe disclosure is not limited by the use of ordinal numbers. Forexample, although the sensor area 131 d is formed in the first housingstructure 110 in the above example, the sensor area 131 d may be formedin the second housing structure 120 or in each of the first housingstructure 110 and the second housing structure 120. According to anembodiment, although the first back surface area 141 and the sub display152 are disposed in the first back cover 140 and the second back cover150, respectively, the first back surface area 141 for placing, e.g., asensor, and the sub display 152 for outputting screen, both, may bedisposed in either the first back cover 140 or the second back cover150.

The following description is made with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 asnecessary. In the following embodiments, the components identical tothose in the above embodiments or easy to understand from thedescription of the above embodiments are denoted with or without thesame reference numerals and their detailed description may be skipped.In the following description, the “state as shown in FIG. 1 in which thefirst housing structure 110 and the second housing structure 120 areunfolded side-by-side” may be denoted a “first position,” and the “statein which the first housing structure 110 and the second housingstructure 120 are folded to face each other” may be denoted a “secondposition.”

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating some components of an electronicdevice 200 (e.g., the electronic device 100 of FIGS. 1 to 3) accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are plan views illustrating a combined structure of thecomponents of FIG. 4 according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the electronic device 200 may includehousing structures (e.g., the first housing structure 110 and secondhousing structure 120 of FIGS. 1 to 3), supporting members (e.g., thefirst supporting member 161 and the second supporting member 162 of FIG.3), a flexible printed circuit board (e.g., the wiring structure orflexible printed circuit board 163 of FIG. 3), a hinge module(s) (e.g.,the hinge module 164 a of FIG. 3), and/or hinge plates (e.g., the firsthinge plate 164 b and second hinge plate 164 c of FIG. 3).

According to an embodiment, the first supporting member 161 or thesecond supporting member 162 may be mounted inside the first housingstructure 110 or the second housing structure 120. For example, thefirst supporting member 161 may be disposed between the display (e.g.,the display 130 of FIG. 3) and a first printed circuit board (e.g., thefirst printed circuit board 171 of FIG. 3), and the second supportingmember 162 may be disposed between the display 130 and a second printedcircuit board (e.g., the second printed circuit board 172 of FIG. 3).According to an embodiment, the first hinge plate 164 b and the secondhinge plate 164 c may be coupled to be rotatable on the hinge module 164a with respect to each other. The first hinge plate 164 b may be mountedon the first supporting member 161, and the second hinge plate 164 c maybe mounted on the second supporting member 162. For example, the firsthousing structure 110 (or the first supporting member 161) may berotatably coupled with the second housing structure 120 (or the secondsupporting member 162) via the hinge structure 164 (e.g., the hingemodule 164 a, the first hinge plate 164 b, and/or the second hinge plate164 c)).

According to an embodiment, the first hinge plate 164 b or the secondhinge plate 164 c may include at least one opening 261 a. The opening261 a may be formed through the first hinge plate 164 b or the secondhinge plate 164 c in a direction (e.g., the z direction of FIG. 3) inwhich the display 130 faces. As described below with reference to FIG.7, the first hinge plate 164 b or the second hinge plate 164 c mayfurther include a frame portion (e.g., the frame portion 361 b of FIG.7) surrounding at least a portion of the opening 261 a. For example, theframe portion 361 b may be a structure defining at least a portion ofthe opening 261 a and may form a portion of an edge of the first hingeplate 164 b or the second hinge plate 164 c.

According to an embodiment, the first hinge plate 164 b or second hingeplate 164 c, along with the first supporting member 161 or the secondsupporting member 162, may support the display 130. For example, afolding area (e.g., the folding area 131 c of FIG. 1 or 3) of thedisplay 130 may be at least partially supported by the first hinge plate164 b or the second hinge plate 164 c. According to an embodiment, whenthere is the user's touch (e.g., a touch input), the display 130 may bedeformed in the area corresponding to the opening 261 a. The frameportion 361 b may support at least a portion of the display 130 in thefolding area 131 c, thereby preventing the display 130 from deformingdue to an external environment (e.g., the user's touch).

According to an embodiment, there may be provided one or more flexibleprinted circuit boards 163 which may cross the hinge structure 164(e.g., the first hinge plate 164 b or the second hinge plate 164 c) andextend from the inside of the first housing structure 110 to the insideof the second housing structure 120. For example, the flexible printedcircuit board 163 may electrically connect an internal component (e.g.,the first printed circuit board 171 of FIG. 3) of the first housingstructure 110 and an internal component (e.g., the second printedcircuit board 172 of FIG. 3) of the second housing structure 120.According to an embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board 163 maybe disposed across the opening 261 a. For example, when viewed fromabove a first surface (e.g., the first surface 111 of FIG. 1) or a thirdsurface (e.g., the third surface 121 of FIG. 1) of the display 130, aportion of the flexible printed circuit board 163 may be disposed tooverlap the opening 261 a. According to an embodiment, some portion(e.g., the portion C of FIG. 4) of the flexible printed circuit board163 may be disposed in the internal space of the hinge cover (e.g., thehinge cover 165 of FIG. 3) while remaining in a curved shape (e.g., theletter U shape). When the electronic device 200 transforms between afirst position (e.g., the position or shape as shown in FIG. 1) in whichthe electronic device 200 unfolds and a second position (e.g., theposition or shape as shown in FIG. 2), the flexible printed circuitboard 163 (e.g., the portion C of FIG. 4) may be transformedcorresponding to the transforming of the electronic device 200.

According to an embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board 163 maybe disposed curved inside the hinge cover 165 and, in that position, theflexible printed circuit board 163 may tend to turn back flat (e.g.,accumulating elastic restorative force). The accumulated elasticrestorative force may deform a portion of the flexible printed circuitboard 163. For example, by the elastic restorative force, the flexibleprinted circuit board 163 may contact or rub against other structures(or electronic components) inside the electronic device 200. Accordingto an embodiment, it may be hard to predict the deformation of theflexible printed circuit board 163 by the elastic restorative force whenthe electronic device 200 transforms. According to an embodiment, theelectronic device 200 may further include a fixing member 263,permitting deformation of the flexible printed circuit board 163 in theinternal space of the hinge cover 165 and restricting the deformation ofthe flexible printed circuit board 163 in the area or space off thehinge cover 165. For example, the fixing member 263 may set a portionthat may be deformed in the flexible printed circuit board 163.

According to an embodiment, the fixing member 263 may be mounted on thefirst hinge plate 164 b or the second hinge plate 164 c, and a portionof the flexible printed circuit board 163 may be mounted or fastened tothe fixing member 263. According to an embodiment, a pair of fixingmembers 263 may be mounted on the flexible printed circuit board 163,and one of the fixing members 263 may be mounted on the first hingeplate 164 b, and the other may be mounted on the second hinge plate 164c. According to an embodiment, a portion (hereinafter, a ‘deformingportion C’) of the flexible printed circuit board 163, which ispositioned between the pair of fixing members 263 may be disposed insidethe hinge cover 165. For example, in the deformation of the electronicdevice 200, the deforming portion C of the flexible printed circuitboard 163 may be deformed inside the hinge cover 165. Thus, it may bepredicted that when the electronic device 200 transforms, thedeformation of the flexible printed circuit board 163 will occur at thedeforming portion C, and a measure may easily be taken to preventcontact or friction of the flexible printed circuit board 163 to otherstructure(s).

According to an embodiment, the fixing member 263 may be disposed in theopening 261 a. For example, the fixing member 263 may be substantiallyreceived in the opening 261 a, and two opposite ends of the fixingmember 263 may be fastened, at the edge of the opening 261 a, to thefirst hinge plate 164 b or the second hinge plate 164 c. According to anembodiment, allowing the fixing member 263 to be received in the opening261 a may prevent or reduce an increase in thickness due to a structure(e.g., the fixing member) which is disposed to overlap the first hingeplate 164 b or the second hinge plate 164 c. For example, the fixingmember 263 may provide an environment in which the deformation of theflexible printed circuit board 163 is predictable while suppressing anincrease in the thickness of the electronic device 200 by being at leastpartially received in the opening 261 a.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may include anelastic member (e.g., the elastic member 365 of FIGS. 7 to 9),preventing wear or friction between the internal structures orelectronic components of the electronic device 200. The configuration ofthe elastic member 365 is described below in greater detail withreference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged views of area E of FIG. 4 according tovarious embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the elastic member 365 may be disposed inthe frame portion 361 b. As described below with reference to FIG. 9,the elastic member 365 may be attached to the frame portion 361 b and bepositioned to face the flexible printed circuit board 163. For example,the elastic member 365 may be disposed, at least, between the flexibleprinted circuit board 163 and the frame portion 361 b. According to anembodiment, a portion adjacent to the deforming portion (e.g., thedeforming portion C of FIG. 4) of the flexible printed circuit board 163may be formed of a synthetic resin. For example, at least, the frameportion 361 b or first hinge plate 164 b (or the second hinge plate 164c) may be formed of a synthetic resin. According to an embodiment, asother structure, e.g., at least the frame portion 361 b, around thedeforming portion C is formed of a synthetic resin, the flexible printedcircuit board 163 may be prevented from wear or damage despite contactor friction.

According to an embodiment, a plurality of openings 261 a may be formedin each of the first hinge plate 164 b and the second hinge plate 164 cand may be disposed adjacent to each other in the position (e.g., thefirst position) of FIG. 1. For example, the frame portion 361 b may beformed in each of the first hinge plate 164 b and the second hinge plate164 c and, as shown in FIG. 7, the frame portions 361 b may be disposedside-by-side in the first position as shown in FIG. 7. The electronicdevice 200 may include a plurality of elastic members 365 disposed (orattached) in the frame portions 361 b. For example, the elastic memberdisposed on the first hinge plate 164 b and the elastic member disposedon the second hinge plate 164 c may be disposed side-by-side in thefirst position as shown in FIG. 8.

According to an embodiment, the openings 261 a formed in the first hingeplate 164 b and the second hinge plate 164 c may be disposed to faceeach other in the position (e.g., the second position) of FIG. 2, andthe elastic members 365 may be disposed to face each other, with atleast portions of (e.g., the frame portions 361 b) the first hinge plate164 b and the second hinge plate 164 c disposed therebetween. Accordingto an embodiment, the flexible printed circuit board 163 may be disposedto face one surface (e.g., the surface where the elastic member 365 isdisposed) of each of the first hinge plate 164 b and the second hingeplate 164 c and, at least in the area corresponding to the frame portion361 b, may be disposed to face the elastic member 365.

According to an embodiment, the elastic member 365 may include aflexible or elastic material, such as sponge, silicone, or urethane. Anattaching area R1 may be formed on the surface facing the first hingeplate 164 b or the second hinge plate 164 c (e.g., the frame portion 361b). For example, the elastic member 365 may be attached to the firsthinge plate 164 b or the second hinge plate 164 c. According to anembodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, when viewed from above the first surfaceor third surface (e.g., the first surface 111 or third surface 121 ofFIG. 1) of the electronic device 200, a portion of the elastic member365 may be disposed to overlap the opening 261 a or another portion mayproject from the edge of the first hinge plate 164 b or the second hingeplate 164 c. For example, on the surface where the attaching area R1 isformed, the elastic member 365 may include an area which is not attachedto the frame portion. According to an embodiment, the area which is notattached to the frame portion 361 b on one surface of the elastic member365 may include an area with no adhesive (e.g., the non-attaching areaR2 of FIG. 9). According to an embodiment, at least a portion of thenon-attaching area R2 may be disposed to directly face the frame portion361 b. According to an embodiment, another portion of the non-attachingarea R2 may be disposed to project beyond the edge of the first hingeplate 164 b or the second hinge plate 164 c.

FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 are cross-sectional views illustrating variousexample elastic members, as taken by cutting a hinge plate(s) along lineB-B′ of FIG. 8, according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 9, the elastic member 365 may include an elasticmaterial layer 365 a shaped as a flat plate with a width larger than theframe portion 361 b and, as including the adhesive material layer 365 b,the elastic member 365 or the elastic material layer 365 a may beattached to the frame portion 361 b. According to an embodiment, theelastic material layer 365 a may include sponge, silicone, or urethane.For example, the elastic material layer 365 a has flexibility orelasticity, thereby preventing wear or damage due to contact or frictionwith another structure. In FIG. 9, the adhesive material layer 365 b maybe formed of an adhesive material or adhesive tape applied substantiallyon one surface of the elastic material layer 365 a. For example,although FIG. 9 illustrates the elastic material layer 365 a and theadhesive material layer 365 b as separate layers, the thickness of theadhesive material layer 365 b may be substantially too small to berecognized with the naked eye.

According to an embodiment, the area (e.g., the attaching area R1) wherethe adhesive material layer 365 b is provided may be smaller than thewidth and length of the elastic member 365 (e.g., the elastic materiallayer 365 a). For example, at least a portion, around the attaching areaR1, of the surface facing the frame portion 361 b may be thenon-attaching area R2 where no adhesive material is provided. Accordingto an embodiment, the non-attaching area R2 may be shaped substantiallyas a polygon or closed curve (or area) surrounding the attaching areaR1, and at least a portion of the non-attaching area R2 may be disposedto directly face the frame portion 361 b. For example, the attachingarea R1 may be formed in a width and length smaller than the width andlength of the frame portion 361 b. Thus, the adhesive material betweenthe frame portion 361 b and the elastic material layer 365 a may bepositioned substantially in the area which the frame portion 361 b orelastic material layer 365 a provides.

Referring to FIG. 10, the elastic member 465 may be formed tosubstantially surround the frame portion 361 b. For example, the elasticmember 465 may be formed of silicone or urethane to surround the outercircumferential surface of the frame portion 361 b. According to anembodiment, if the elastic member 465 is formed of silicone or urethane,the elastic member 465 may be formed in such a manner as to wrap aroundthe frame portion 361 b by insert molding or liquid silicone molding.According to an embodiment, if the elastic member 465 is formed byinsert molding or liquid silicone molding, the elastic member 465 may beformed, attached or coupled to the frame portion 361 b, although notincluding the adhesive material layer (e.g., the adhesive material layer365 b of FIG. 9).

Referring to FIG. 11, the elastic member 565 may be formed to surroundone surface of the frame portion 361 b while partially surroundinganother surface of the frame portion 361 b. The elastic member 565 shownin FIG. 11 may be attached to the frame portion 361 b via an adhesivematerial (e.g., the adhesive material layer 365 b of FIG. 9). Beforeattached to the frame portion 361 b, the elastic member 565 may bedeformed to various shapes within a predetermined range. According to anembodiment, if formed of silicone or urethane, the elastic member 565may be attached to the frame portion 361 b while being simultaneouslyformed by insert molding.

According to an embodiment, the above-described elastic member, e.g.,the elastic member 365, 465, or 565 of FIGS. 7 to 11, may be disposed toat least partially surround the frame portion 361 b, preventing theflexible printed circuit board 163 from directly contacting the frameportion 361 b. For example, the elastic member 365, 465, or 565 mayprevent wear or damage which may arise when the flexible printed circuitboard 163 contacts another structure (e.g., the frame portion 361 b).

FIGS. 12 and 13 are views illustrating an unfolded state of housingstructures (e.g., the first housing structure 110 and second housingstructure 120 of FIGS. 1 to 4) of an electronic device 600 (e.g., theelectronic device 100 or 200 of FIGS. 1 to 4) according to variousembodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, in a first position, e.g., the unfoldedstate of the first housing structure and second housing structure (e.g.,the first housing structure 110 and second housing structure 120 ofFIGS. 1 to 4) of the electronic device 600, the flexible printed circuitboard (e.g., the flexible printed circuit board 163 of FIG. 4) may bedisposed substantially flat, and the deforming portion C (e.g., thedeforming portion C of FIG. 4) may be curved (e.g., in the shape of theletter “U”) inside the hinge cover 165. According to an embodiment, inthe first position, the deforming portion C may include a portion with apositive curvature radius (hereinafter, a “first curved area P”) and aportion with a negative curvature radius (hereinafter, a “second curvedarea N”).

According to an embodiment, the elastic member (e.g., the elastic member365 of FIGS. 7 to 9) may be attached to the first hinge plate 164 b orthe second hinge plate 164 c (e.g., the frame portion(s) 361 b of FIG. 7or 9) and be disposed to face the flexible printed circuit board 163(e.g., the first curved area P) in the first position. According to anembodiment, in the first position, the second curved area N may bepositioned adjacent to the elastic member 365. For example, the secondcurved area N may be formed in each of the area corresponding to thefirst hinge plate 164 b and the area corresponding to the second hingeplate 164 c on the flexible printed circuit board 163. According to anembodiment, the first curved area P may be an area between the secondcurved areas N and may be disposed substantially in a shape with apositive curvature radius inside the hinge cover 165.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are views illustrating a folded state of housingstructures (e.g., the first housing structure 110 and second housingstructure 120 of FIGS. 1 to 4) of an electronic device 600 (e.g., theelectronic device 100 or 200 of FIGS. 1 to 4) according to variousembodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the flexible printed circuit board 163 maybe disposed substantially in the shape of the letter “U.” For example,the deforming portion (e.g., the deforming portion C of FIG. 4) may bedisposed to maintain the shape with the positive curvature, and theremaining portions of the flexible printed circuit board 163 may bedisposed substantially in parallel with each other while facing eachother. According to an embodiment, in the second position, a portion ofthe flexible printed circuit board 163 disposed inside the first housingstructure 110 and another portion of the flexible printed circuit board163 disposed inside the second housing structure 120 may be disposed toface each other and may be connected together via the deforming portionC. It should be noted here that the sentence “two different portions ofthe flexible printed circuit board 163 are disposed to face each other”describes a relative position shown in the cross-sectional view takenalong line B-B′ of FIG. 8 as obtained by cutting the electronic device(e.g., the electronic device 100 or 200 of FIGS. 1 to 6). According toan embodiment, if the electronic device 600 is projected along thez-axis direction of FIG. 3 in the folded state, two different portionsof the flexible printed circuit board 163 may be disposed substantiallyin parallel with each other in positions offset from each other. Forexample, although the relative positions of the two different portionsof the flexible printed circuit board 163 are mentioned in connectionwith the instant embodiment, it should be noted that embodiments of thedisclosure are not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, anotherstructure, e.g., a portion of the display 130, may be disposed betweenthe two mutually-facing portions of the flexible printed circuit board163.

According to an embodiment, when the electronic device 600 transformsbetween the first position and the second position, the shape orposition of the flexible printed circuit board 163 may vary. Forexample, a look at the variations in curvature radius, based oncomparison between FIGS. 13 and 15 reveals that the curvature radius ofthe second curved area N is substantially infinite in the secondposition and, in the first position, it is smaller than the curvatureradius of the first curved area P. Regarding the variations in positionbetween FIGS. 13 and 15, in the first position, the second curved area Nis positioned adjacent to the frame portion 361 b or the elastic member365 and, in the second position, the first curved area P is positionedadjacent to the frame portion 361 b or the elastic member 365 whilesubstantially facing the frame portion 361 b or the elastic member 365.According to an embodiment, regardless of the first position or secondposition, the flexible printed circuit board 163 may be disposed topartially face the display (e.g., the display 130 of FIG. 3), apredetermined interval away from the display.

According to an embodiment, the deformation or relocation of theflexible printed circuit board 163 due to the transformation of theelectronic device 600 may be a cause of contact or friction to anotherstructure. For example, as mentioned above, in the first position, thesecond curved area N may be positioned adjacent to the frame portion 361b and, in the second position, the first curved area P may be positionedadjacent to the frame portion 361 b. According to an embodiment, thedeformation of the flexible printed circuit board 163 by the accumulatedelastic restorative force may be substantially difficult to predict. Forexample, the shape of the flexible printed circuit board 163 accordingto the distribution of the elastic restorative force may differ from thestate shown in FIG. 13 or 15. If the state of the flexible printedcircuit board 163 differs from that shown in FIG. 13 or 15, the secondcurved area N, in the first position, may come in contact with the frameportion 361 b and, in the second position, the first curved area P maycome in contact with the frame portion 361 b.

According to an embodiment, the elastic member 365 is disposedsubstantially between the frame portion 361 b and the flexible printedcircuit board 163, thus preventing the flexible printed circuit board163 from directly contacting the frame portion 361 b. For example, whenthe flexible printed circuit board 163 deforms or moves to contactanother structure (e.g., the frame portion 361 b), the elastic member365 may contact the flexible printed circuit board earlier than otherstructures. According to an embodiment, the elastic member 365 is formedof a flexible or elastic material and is disposed to contact theflexible printed circuit board 163. Thus, the elastic member 365 maysuppress wear or damage due to contact or friction of the flexibleprinted circuit board 163. According to an embodiment, as the flexibleprinted circuit board 163 is disposed to rub against the elastic member,the flexible printed circuit board 163 may be prevented from damage dueto contact or friction.

According to an embodiment, if the adhesive material (e.g., the adhesivematerial layer 365 b of FIG. 9) is exposed to the outside of the elasticmember 365, it may stick to, or contaminate, the flexible printedcircuit board 163. The sticking of the adhesive material layer 365 b orcontamination of the flexible printed circuit board 163 by the adhesivematerial layer 365 b may cause a noise when the flexible printed circuitboard 163 deforms. According to an embodiment, in the electronic device(e.g., the electronic device 100, 200, or 600 of FIGS. 1 to 4, FIG. 13,or FIG. 15), a non-attaching area (e.g., the non-attaching area R2 ofFIG. 9) may be provided around the adhesive material layer. For example,as set forth above in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 9, althoughthe elastic member 365 includes an adhesive material layer (e.g., theadhesive material layer 365 b of FIG. 9), the width or length of theadhesive material layer 365 b may be smaller than the elastic member 365(e.g., the elastic material layer 365 a of FIG. 9) or the frame portion361 b, and the non-attaching area R2 may be formed around the adhesivematerial layer 365 b. For example, although the flexible printed circuitboard 163 contacts the elastic member 365, the non-attaching area R2 mayprevent the flexible printed circuit board 163 from contamination due tothe adhesive material.

FIGS. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 are views illustrating exampleoperations of manufacturing an elastic member (e.g., the elastic member365 or 701 of FIG. 7 to 9 or 20) of an electronic device according tovarious embodiments of the disclosure.

According to an embodiment, a release sheet 711 having an adhesivematerial 713 a applied thereto is cut and attached to an elasticmaterial layer 715 (e.g., the elastic material layer 365 a of FIG. 9),forming an elastic member 701 (e.g., the elastic member 365 of FIGS. 7to 9). FIGS. 16 and 17 are a plan view and cross-sectional viewillustrating the release sheet 711 to which the adhesive material 713 ahas been applied.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, the adhesive material 713 a may beattached or applied to the release sheet 711 and may include adouble-side tape or adhesive. The release sheet 711 is cut in the areawhere the adhesive material 713 a is provided, forming the adhesivematerial layer 713 b (e.g., the adhesive material layer 365 b of FIG. 9)which is to be provided to the elastic member 701.

FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate the shape of the cut-off release sheet 711(e.g., the shape in which the adhesive material layer 713 b has beenformed). According to an embodiment, with the release sheet 711 cut off,the adhesive material layer 713 b may be attached to the elasticmaterial layer 715 (e.g., the elastic material layer 365 a of FIG. 9).

Referring to FIGS. 20 and 21, the adhesive material layer 713 b may beattached to the elastic material layer 715, forming the elastic member701. According to an embodiment, the elastic member 701 (e.g., theelastic material layer 715 and/or the adhesive material layer 713 b) maybe cut to a proper length depending on the size (e.g., length) or shapeof the portion (e.g., the frame portion 361 b of FIG. 7 or 9) to whichthe elastic member 701 is to be attached. For example, adjacentnon-attaching areas (e.g., the non-attaching area R2 of FIG. 9) may beformed on both sides of the adhesive material layer 713 b, but nonon-attaching area may be provided on the top and bottom of the elasticmaterial layer 715 of FIG. 20. The formed elastic member 701, or theelastic member 701 cut to a proper length, may be attached to the frameportion (e.g., the frame portion 361 b of FIG. 7 or 9). Before attachedto the frame portion 361 b, the release sheet 711 may be removed, andthe adhesive material layer 713 b may attach the elastic material layer715 to the frame portion 361 b.

FIGS. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are views illustrating exampleoperations of manufacturing an elastic member (e.g., the elastic member365 or 801 of FIG. 9 or 27) of an electronic device according to variousembodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23, an elastic material layer (e.g., theelastic material layer 815 b) of an elastic member 801 may be formed bycutting a flat material 815 a. According to an embodiment, an adhesivematerial layer (e.g., the adhesive material layer 813 of FIG. 25) may beformed by applying an adhesive material, with a mask 811 put in place.

Referring to FIG. 24, the mask 811 may be placed and, with an area wherethe adhesive material layer 813 is to be formed exposed, the adhesivematerial may be sprayed or applied, forming the adhesive material layer813 in some area of the material 815 a.

Referring to FIG. 25 or 26, it illustrates an example in which theadhesive material layer 813 has been formed. At least a portion, aroundthe adhesive material layer 813, of one surface of the material 815 amay include an area (e.g., the non-attaching area R2 of FIG. 9) wherethe adhesive material is not applied.

According to an embodiment, an elastic member (e.g., the elastic member365 of FIG. 9) may be formed by forming the adhesive material layer 813on one surface of the material 815 a. For example, the elastic memberitself of FIG. 25 or 26 may be attached to the frame portion 361 b ofFIG. 9.

Referring to FIGS. 27 and 28, an elastic member (e.g., the elasticmember 801 of FIGS. 27 and 28) which is to be applied to an actualproduct may be formed by partially removing the material 815 a. Forexample, given, e.g., dimensional tolerances, the material 815 a may beformed with a width or length larger than the elastic material layer(e.g., the elastic material layer 815 b of FIGS. 27 and 28) which is tobe applied to an actual product. After the adhesive material layer 813is formed, a portion (e.g., a portion of the area where the adhesivematerial layer 813 is not provided) of the material 815 a may beremoved, forming the elastic material layer 815 b. According to anembodiment, the elastic member 801 (e.g., the elastic material layer 815b and/or the adhesive material layer 813) may be cut to a proper lengthdepending on the size (e.g., length) or shape of the portion (e.g., theframe portion 361 b of FIG. 7 or 9) to which the elastic member 801 isto be attached. For example, adjacent non-attaching areas (e.g., thenon-attaching area R2 of FIG. 9) may be formed on both sides of theadhesive material layer 813, but no non-attaching area may be providedon the top and bottom of the elastic material layer 815 b of FIG. 27.The formed elastic member 801, or the elastic member 801 cut to a properlength, may be attached to the frame portion (e.g., the frame portion361 b of FIG. 7 or 9). Before attached to the frame portion 361 b, arelease sheet (e.g., the release sheet 711 of FIG. 21) may be providedto prevent the adhesive material layer 813 from contamination by, e.g.,foreign bodies.

According to an embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronicdevice 100, 200, or 600 of FIG. 1 to 4, 13, or 15) comprises a firsthousing structure (e.g., the first housing structure 110 of FIGS. 1 to4) including a first surface (e.g., the first surface 111 of FIG. 1)facing in a first direction, a second surface (e.g., the second surface112 of FIG. 1) facing in a second direction opposite to the firstdirection, and a first side surface member at least partiallysurrounding a space between the first surface and the side surface, asecond housing structure (e.g., the second housing structure 120 ofFIGS. 1 to 4) including a third surface (e.g., the third surface 121 ofFIG. 1) facing in a third direction, a fourth surface (e.g., the fourthsurface 122 of FIG. 1) facing in a fourth direction opposite to thethird direction, and a second side surface member at least partiallysurrounding a space between the third surface and the fourth surface, ahinge structure (e.g., the hinge structure 164 of FIG. 3 or 4) rotatablyconnecting the first housing structure and the second housing structure,providing a folding axis (e.g., the folding axis A of FIG. 1) on whichthe first housing structure and the second housing structure rotate, andincluding a first hinge plate (e.g., the first hinge plate 164 b of FIG.3 or 4) mounted inside the first housing structure and a second hingeplate (e.g., the second hinge plate 164 c of FIG. 3 or 4) mounted insidethe second housing structure, at least one flexible printed circuitboard (e.g., the flexible printed circuit board 163 of FIG. 3, 4, 13, or15) crossing the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate andextending from an inside of the first housing structure to an inside ofthe second housing structure, and at least one elastic member (e.g., theelastic member 365 of FIG. 7, 9, 13, or 15) disposed on at least one ofthe first hinge plate and the second hinge plate in a position adjacentto the folding axis, wherein the elastic member is disposed between thefirst hinge plate and the flexible printed circuit board and/or betweenthe second hinge plate and the flexible printed circuit board.

According to an embodiment, the elastic member may include an attachingarea (e.g., the attaching area R1 of FIG. 9) formed on a surface facingthe first hinge plate or the second hinge plate and a non-attaching area(e.g., the non-attaching area R2 of FIG. 9) formed in at least a portionof a circumference of the attaching area, on the surface facing thefirst hinge plate or the second hinge plate.

According to an embodiment, the non-attaching area may be shaped as apolygon or a closed curve surrounding the attaching area.

According to an embodiment, the elastic member may include sponge,silicone, or urethane.

According to an embodiment, the first hinge plate or the second hingeplate may include at least one opening (e.g., the opening 261 a of FIG.4, 7, or 8) formed through in the first direction or the seconddirection and a frame portion (e.g., the frame portion 361 b of FIG. 7)formed to surround or define at least a portion of the opening. Theelastic member may be attached to the frame portion.

According to an embodiment, the frame portion may form a portion of anedge of the first hinge plate or the second hinge plate.

According to an embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface orthe third surface, a portion of the flexible printed circuit board maybe disposed to overlap the opening.

According to an embodiment, the elastic member may include an attachingarea formed on a surface facing the first hinge plate or the secondhinge plate and a non-attaching area formed in at least a portion of acircumference of the attaching area, on the surface facing the firsthinge plate or the second hinge plate. The attaching area may beattached to at least a portion of the frame portion.

According to an embodiment, the non-attaching area may be shaped as apolygon or closed curve surrounding the attaching area. At least aportion of the non-attaching area may be disposed to directly face theframe portion.

According to an embodiment, when viewed from above the first surface orthe third surface, a portion of the non-attaching area may be disposedto overlap the opening or another portion of the non-attaching areaprotrudes from an edge of the first hinge plate or the second hingeplate.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device may further comprise afixing member (e.g., the fixing member 263 of FIG. 4) disposed in theopening and including a first end and a second end fixed to the firsthinge plate and the second hinge plate, respectively. A portion of theflexible printed circuit board may be mounted on the fixing member.

According to an embodiment, the first housing structure and the secondhousing structure may rotate on the hinge structure between a firstposition where the first surface and the third surface are unfoldedside-by-side to a second position where the first surface and the thirdsurface are folded to face each other.

According to an embodiment, the elastic member may include a firstelastic member disposed on the first hinge plate and a second elasticmember disposed on the second hinge plate. In the first position, thefirst elastic member and the second elastic member may be disposedadjacent to each other and side-by-side and, in the second position, thefirst elastic member and the second elastic member may be disposed toface each other, with the first hinge plate and the second hinge platedisposed therebetween.

According to an embodiment, the first hinge plate or the second hingeplate may include at least one opening formed through in the firstdirection or the second direction and a frame portion formed to surroundor define at least a portion of the opening. The elastic member may beattached to the frame portion.

According to an embodiment, the elastic member may include an attachingarea formed on a surface facing the first hinge plate or the secondhinge plate and a non-attaching area formed in at least a portion of acircumference of the attaching area, on the surface facing the firsthinge plate or the second hinge plate. The attaching area may beattached to at least a portion of the frame portion.

According to an embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronicdevice 100, 200, or 600 of FIG. 1 to 4, 13, or 15) comprises a firsthousing structure, a second housing structure, a hinge structurerotatably connecting the first housing structure and the second housingstructure and including a first hinge plate mounted inside the firsthousing structure and a second hinge plate mounted inside the secondhousing structure, at least one flexible printed circuit board crossingthe first hinge plate and the second hinge plate and extending from aninside of the first housing structure to an inside of the second housingstructure, and elastic members individually disposed on the first hingeplate and the second hinge plate and at least partially facing theflexible printed circuit board, wherein the elastic members include anattaching area formed on a surface facing the first hinge plate or thesecond hinge plate and a non-attaching area formed to abut at least twoopposite sides of the attaching area on the surface facing the firsthinge plate or the second hinge plate.

According to an embodiment, the first housing structure and the secondhousing structure may rotate on the hinge structure between a firstposition where the first housing structure and the second housingstructure are unfolded side-by-side to a second position where the firsthousing structure and the second housing structure are folded to faceeach other. In the first position, the elastic members may be disposedadjacent to each other and side-by-side and, in the second position, theelastic members are disposed to face each other, with the first hingeplate and the second hinge plate disposed therebetween.

According to an embodiment, the first hinge plate or the second hingeplate may include at least one opening formed through in the firstdirection or the second direction and a frame portion formed to surroundor define at least a portion of the opening, wherein the attaching areais attached to the frame portion. At least a portion of thenon-attaching area may be disposed to directly face the frame portion.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device may further comprise afixing member disposed in the opening and including a first end and asecond end fixed to the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate,respectively. A portion of the flexible printed circuit board may bemounted on the fixing member and be disposed on the opening.

According to an embodiment, the frame portion may form a portion of anedge of the first hinge plate or the second hinge plate.

According to an embodiment, the at least one flexible printed circuitboard includes a deformable portion.

According to an embodiment, the deformable portion comprises a syntheticresin.

According to an embodiment, the deformable portion includes a firstportion with a positive curvature radius, and a second portion with anegative curvature radius.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, according to variousembodiments, the elastic member may be placed between the structures orelectronic components which contact or rub against each other while theelectronic device transforms. For example, the elastic member may secureor maintain a predetermined gap between the adjacent structures orelectronic components. According to an embodiment, if a contact orfriction occurs while the electronic device transforms, the elasticmember may prevent direct contact between the adjacent structures orelectronic components, suppressing wear or damage to the structures.According to an embodiment, although the electronic device is repeatedlytransformed, the elastic member may mitigate or prevent wear to theinternal structures or electronic components due to contact or frictionand enhance the durability of the electronic device (e.g., the internalstructures or electronic components).

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference tovarious embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art that various changes in form and detail may be madethereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: a first housingstructure including: a first surface facing in a first direction, asecond surface facing in a second direction opposite to the firstdirection, and a first side surface member at least partiallysurrounding a space between the first surface and the second surface; asecond housing structure including: a third surface facing in a thirddirection, a fourth surface facing in a fourth direction opposite to thethird direction, and a second side surface member at least partiallysurrounding a space between the third surface and the fourth surface; ahinge structure rotatably connecting the first housing structure and thesecond housing structure, the hinge structure providing a folding axison which the first housing structure and the second housing structurerotate, the hinge structure including a first hinge plate mounted insidethe first housing structure and a second hinge plate mounted inside thesecond housing structure; at least one flexible printed circuit boardcrossing the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate and extendingfrom an inside of the first housing structure to an inside of the secondhousing structure; and at least one elastic member disposed on at leastone of the first hinge plate or the second hinge plate in a positionadjacent to the folding axis, wherein the elastic member is disposedbetween the at least one flexible printed circuit board and a display ofthe electronic device, and wherein the elastic member is at least oneof: disposed between the first hinge plate and the at least one flexibleprinted circuit board, or disposed between the second hinge plate andthe flexible printed circuit board.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the elastic member includes: an attaching area formed on asurface facing the first hinge plate or the second hinge plate; and anon-attaching area formed in at least a portion of a circumference ofthe attaching area, on the surface facing the first hinge plate or thesecond hinge plate.
 3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein thenon-attaching area is shaped as at least one of a polygon or a closedcurve surrounding the attaching area.
 4. The electronic device of claim1, wherein the elastic member includes material comprising at least oneof a sponge, a silicone, or a urethane.
 5. The electronic device ofclaim 1, wherein the first hinge plate or the second hinge plateincludes: at least one opening formed through in the first direction orthe second direction, and a frame portion formed to surround or defineat least a portion of the opening, and wherein the elastic member isattached to the frame portion.
 6. The electronic device of claim 5,wherein the frame portion forms a portion of an edge of the first hingeplate or the second hinge plate.
 7. The electronic device of claim 5,wherein, when viewed from above the first surface or the third surface,a portion of the flexible printed circuit board is disposed to overlapthe opening.
 8. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the elasticmember includes an attaching area formed on a surface facing the firsthinge plate or the second hinge plate and a non-attaching area formed inat least a portion of a circumference of the attaching area, on thesurface facing the first hinge plate or the second hinge plate, andwherein the attaching area is attached to at least a portion of theframe portion.
 9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein thenon-attaching area is shaped as a polygon or closed curve surroundingthe attaching area, and wherein at least a portion of the non-attachingarea is disposed to directly face the frame portion.
 10. The electronicdevice of claim 8, wherein, when viewed from above the first surface orthe third surface, a portion of the non-attaching area is disposed tooverlap the opening or another portion of the non-attaching areaprotrudes from an edge of the first hinge plate or the second hingeplate.
 11. The electronic device of claim 5, further comprising: afixing member disposed in the opening and including a first end and asecond end fixed to the first hinge plate or the second hinge plate,respectively, wherein a portion of the flexible printed circuit board ismounted on the fixing member.
 12. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the first housing structure and the second housing structurerotate on the hinge structure between: a first position where the firstsurface and the third surface are unfolded side-by-side; and a secondposition where the first surface and the third surface are folded toface each other.
 13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein theelastic member includes a first elastic member disposed on the firsthinge plate and a second elastic member disposed on the second hingeplate, wherein, in the first position, the first elastic member and thesecond elastic member are disposed adjacent to each other andside-by-side and, and wherein, in the second position, the first elasticmember and the second elastic member are disposed to face each other,with the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate disposedtherebetween.
 14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the firsthinge plate or the second hinge plate includes: at least one openingformed through in the first direction or the second direction, and aframe portion formed to surround or define at least a portion of theopening, and wherein the elastic member is attached to the frameportion.
 15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the elasticmember includes: an attaching area formed on a surface facing the firsthinge plate or the second hinge plate, and a non-attaching area formedin at least a portion of a circumference of the attaching area, on thesurface facing the first hinge plate or the second hinge plate, andwherein the attaching area is attached to at least a portion of theframe portion.
 16. An electronic device, comprising: a first housingstructure; a second housing structure; a hinge structure rotatablyconnecting the first housing structure and the second housing structure,the hinge structure including a first hinge plate mounted inside thefirst housing structure, and a second hinge plate mounted inside thesecond housing structure; at least one flexible printed circuit boardcrossing the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate, the at leastone flexible printed circuit board extending from an inside of the firsthousing structure to an inside of the second housing structure; and aplurality of elastic members individually disposed on the first hingeplate and the second hinge plate, the plurality of elastic memberspartially facing the flexible printed circuit board, wherein at leastone elastic member of the plurality of elastic members is disposedbetween the flexible printed circuit board and a display of theelectronic device, and wherein the plurality of elastic members include:an attaching area formed on a surface facing the first hinge plate orthe second hinge plate, and a non-attaching area formed to abut at leasttwo opposite sides of the attaching area on the surface facing the firsthinge plate or the second hinge plate.
 17. The electronic device ofclaim 16, wherein the first housing structure and the second housingstructure rotate on the hinge structure between: a first position wherethe first housing structure and the second housing structure areunfolded side-by-side, and a second position where the first housingstructure and the second housing structure are folded to face eachother, wherein, in the first position, the elastic members are disposedadjacent to each other and side-by-side, and wherein, in the secondposition, the elastic members are disposed to face each other, with thefirst hinge plate and the second hinge plate disposed therebetween. 18.The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the first hinge plate or thesecond hinge plate includes at least one opening formed through in thefirst position or the second position, and a frame portion formed tosurround or define at least a portion of the opening, wherein theattaching area is attached to the frame portion, and wherein at least aportion of the non-attaching area is disposed to directly face the frameportion.
 19. The electronic device of claim 18, further comprising: afixing member disposed in the opening and including: a first end, and asecond end fixed to the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate,respectively, wherein a portion of the flexible printed circuit board ismounted on the fixing member and is disposed on the opening.
 20. Theelectronic device of claim 18, wherein the frame portion forms a portionof an edge of the first hinge plate or the second hinge plate.